Law Firms

A southern Indiana company could be on the hook for $26 million in contaminated site cleanup costs, a consequence of a federal
judge's default ruling in June that found the business and its former attorneys had purposely withheld evidence and misled
the court.

The Indiana Supreme Court has never determined whether the money spent during the prosecution of an Unauthorized Practice
of Law claim fits into the "costs and expenses incurred by such a hearing" category, which means that a losing party
pays under Administrative Disciplinary Rule 24.

An Indianapolis law firm sanctioned for the conduct of some of its attorneys in an environmental cleanup case won't appeal
the sanction and has agreed to pick up some of the opposing counsel's legal tab as part of a settlement agreement.

The Indiana Court of Appeals today affirmed the dismissal of conversion and legal malpractice claims filed in LaPorte County
against an Illinois attorney following the settlement of a wrongful death claim in Illinois.

In a disciplinary action released Wednesday by the Indiana Supreme Court, the justices disagreed as to whether two public
defenders who worked part time in the same public defender office of Putnam County were "associated in a firm."

In a disciplinary action released by the Indiana Supreme Court today, the justices held that the text of a 2004 version of
the Indiana Professional Conduct Rule 1.15(b), as reinforced by Comment 3, required attorneys to promptly distribute undisputed
portions of funds they held for clients or third parties.

In a historically notable vote, the Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill that would elect St. Joseph Superior judges
rather than stick with a merit-selection and retention system in place for 35 years.

The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed today an order awarding attorneys fees based on the actions of an Indianapolis law firm
in a dispute involving the dissolution of another firm, finding the record didn't provide any insight into why the trial
court granted the award.

Seven attorneys are leaving Indianapolis firm Bingham McHale to form a new insurance litigation firm, a move that one of the
departing partners said came as a result of high rates and the large firm's practice group effectively pricing itself
out of the market.